East Gaston wrestlers aim for state titles

by Aaron Burns
MT. HOLLY –
There’s an old saying in wrestling, “Champions come in pairs.”
East Gaston High’s team is out to disprove the notion that only two guys can win a title in one season.

Jacob Grigg

Warriors coach Scott Goins believes he’s got three wrestlers – Jacob Grigg, Alex Ledford and Michael Bedard – with the potential to win Class 4A state individual championships in March.
Grigg, Ledford and Bedard got the season off to a good start. East Gaston, as a team, entered February with a 16-1 record thanks in large part to the trio’s success.
“They’re all working well,” Goins said. “They’re all similar (in stature) so they can practice against one another.”
Grigg often squares off against Bedard in practices. The two know each other’s moves better than anyone else, but it’s not because of repetition. Grigg wrestled against Bedard two years ago – twice.
Bedard, then a sophomore at Ardrey Kell High, beat freshman Grigg in the 2011 regional tournament. Grigg bounced back and dominated Bedard in the state tournament.
Were there any hard feelings between the two when Bedard transferred to East Gaston?

Michael Bedard

“Not really,” Grigg said. “You’d think it’s going to be awkward at first, but he’s a really good drill partner. Having him in the room is a challenge.”
Goins said some of the most competitive matches he’s seen on the mat all year were the Bedard vs. Grigg showdowns in practice.
Ledford agreed.
“You put them on the mat together and they get intense,” he said. “But they’re cool with each other off the mat.”
Grigg said this season has been fun because he’s changed his approach to the sport. Grigg’s three older brothers, Jared, Jesse and John, emerged as stars for East Gaston in their time at the school.
Jacob felt the pressure to not be the other Grigg brother, the one who didn’t win.

Read the full article: East Gaston Wrestlers Aim for State Title

The team finished the 2013 regular season with the conference tournament at West Meck.
East had 7 All-conference finalist and 5 bronze medalist but could not catch Charlotte Catholic for the title.

Champions
120 Michael Bedard (Outstanding Wrestler)
126 Jacob Grigg
145 Alex Leford
285 Jordan Wilson (freshman)

Silver Medalist
132 Jared Bassett
160 Tyler Spurling (freshman)
170 Mark Bedard

Bronze Medalist
106 Mason Lewis
113 Eric Harvey
152 Jack Reep
182 Marshal Abernethy
195 Sam McInnis

We Are Family

On Saturday Febuary 2, East competed in the Providence Invitational. Thirteen warriors competed and eleven scored points to give the team its first individual tournament title of the season.
It was truly a team effort, with four champions: Michael Bedard, Jacob Grigg, Jared Bassett, and Alex Ledford. One runner-up, Eric Harvey; one bronze medalist, Mark Bedard, and two 4th place finishers, Sam McInnis and Jordan Wilson. Many of the wrestlers went head to head with Porter Ridge and Mallard Creek ending in a consolation match up between Sam and Mallard Creek. Sam lost 9-2 but managed to keep the match to a regular decision, preventing any bonus points and securing the Warrior's half point victory 157.5 to 157 over Mallard Creek.

Growing Pains

With all young teams there comes a time when each wrestler has to make a choice. Is this really worth it? These choices are often referred to a growing pains. Moving out of our comfort zone often hurts, both physically and emotionally. But to get things you've never had you have to do things you've never done.

The Warriors were going through some of those in mid January. After losing a close match to North Gaston and finishing second in the Wildcat duals, the team traveled to Charlotte Catholic the next week and lost a close match and a chance at the conference title.

"It was my fault," said Coach Goins. "After the December peak, I failed to refocus the team on the most important thing, that we are family! We have to work to be the best wrestler we can be, but our relationships are the foundation to our success. We got focused on the mechanics, which are important, but tend to make us selfish and the tone on the team started to feel that way. Many of the wrestlers including veterans were checking out. After the Catholic match I made some adjustments to my attitude and in turn to the teams attitude."

It was a painful 2 weeks for the young team, but seems to have paid off, with a re-energized squad and leaders setting the example, the team finished the regular season with a 80-0 pounding of West Meck and 57-16 thrashing of Olympic in the last two home matches of the season.

Dominant Dozen: 12 of the area’s best in ‘12

December 31, 2012

Hopewell, East Gaston and West Mecklenburg high schools featured some star-studded athletes in 2012. From the gridiron to the golf course to the soccer field, there was a solid collection of talent emanating from the trio of schools.
Here’s a look at some of the best athletes from Hopewell, East Gaston and West Mecklenburg and their accomplishments:

Michael Bedard, East Gaston wrestling
Bedard transferred to East Gaston from Ardrey Kell High and instantly made friends with the Warriors’ wrestlers. Winning can do that for you, and Bedard won on a regular basis.
He lost only three regular-season matches and captured the bronze medal in the 120-pound weight class in the Class 4A state wrestling championship on Feb. 25 in Greensboro. Bedard lost in the quarterfinal round, but dominated the consolation rounds to take third place in the tournament.
Bedard, now a senior, finished the season with a 48-4 record and a third-place ranking in the state 120-pound class, according to www.retrorankings.com.

John and Jacob Grigg, East Gaston wrestling
The third and fourth members of the Grigg family to star for the Warriors on the mat, John and Jacob Grigg, followed brothers Jared and Jesse and set the tone for East Gaston’s 2012 season.
John’s senior year was his best. The Warriors’ top presence on the mat finished the season with a 52-4 record en route to winning the Class 4A state championship’s 132-pound class in the state final on Feb. 25 in Greensboro.
His last match as a high school wrestler was arguably his best. Grigg finished off his career with a 9-6 win over Southern Pines Pinecrest’s Dallas Roemer to capture the state crown.
Jacob’s sophomore year was also impressive, with a 52-11 mark in 2011-12.

– compiled by Aaron Burns

Read the full article: Dominant Dozen

Young Team Off to Promising Start

Freshman Tyler Spurling wins both matches Tuesday night.

     2005 was the last time the Warriors beat West Lincoln, but Tuesday night our young team pounded the Rebels' young team 62-18 losing only 3 matches.
     The toughest test of the night came in the first match against defending 1A Dual State Champions West Wilkes. It was a see-saw battle and EG fell behind 30-13 before we came into the strength of our line up (113-152). East got pins from Jack Reep, Eric Harvey and Jacob Grigg. With freshman Tyler Spurling getting a major decision and Mark Bedard adding a decision the match came down to three key match ups. Jared Bassett's 1-0 win over state runner-up Jake St. Germain. Alex Leford's 7-3 victory over two time state placer Dustin Huffman and D'Andre Hunter-Cathy's close 2-4 loss to two time state champion Jorge Lima.
     In the last dual match of the night, Tyler Spurling started the roll against West Lincoln with a second period pin, followed by pins from freshman Chris Peterson 220 lbs, Eric Harvey 113 lbs, Michael Bedard 120 lbs, Jared Bassett 126 lbs, Jacob Grigg 132 lbs, Alex Ledford 145 lbs, and Jack Reep 152 lbs. D'Andre Hunter-Cathy picked up a 5 point tech fall with an 18-3 win.
     After the come behind win Saturday against Ashbrook, and Tuesday night against West Wilkes the team seems to be coming together as a dual team. There is still a lot of work to do in order to compete with the top teams, but if the Warriors can get some experience where we are young and cut out some of the pins we are giving away we could have a solid dual team by February.
     The last time East Gaston started out 9-0 was 2004. That was a pretty good year for the team. A State Tournament title and four consecutive state champions Jared Grigg 103 lbs, Rob Tate 112 lbs, Justin Sparrow 119 lbs, and Dusty McKinney's fourth state title at 125 lbs. Who knows how this season will shake out, but it should be exciting to watch unfold with multiple state champion possibilities.

Warriors Win 2012 Larry Carpenter Duals

The rivalry between East Gaston and Ashbrook wrestling goes back to the beginning of the school. It may not be as well known as the EG/South Point football game, but it is every bit as intense and competitive. So when the Warriors traveled to Ashbrook last Saturday to participate in the 2nd annual Larry Carpenter Duals, there was a good chance we would get to see that match up.

Everyone was on their feet for the last 4 matches.

     The team had to go through Vance, Forestview, and Mooresville first. The match up with Mooresville was tough but the fought hard and came away with a 44 - 22 win. That set up a showdown with Ashbrook for the tournament title.

Eric Harvey wins in 3rd Overtime

     With the match starting at 138 pounds, a strategic decision to bump Jacob Grigg up pays off. Jacob gets a tech fall with a 17-1 win. D'Andre Hunter-Cathy took on Ashbrook team captain Will Brandon and in a tough fought battle lost a close 6-5 decision. After trading several matches and losing some pins the team goes into the 113 pound match down 34-15. A loss in any of the last four weights would end any chance of a come back win. Eric Harvey gets the first takedown but ends up tied at the end of regulation. In the third over time (the 30 second ride out) Eric chose bottom, and scored an escape to keep the teams chances alive and had everyone in the gym on their feet. Evan Abernathy stepped in at 120 lbs, followed by Michael Bedard, and Jared Bassett who all scored first period pins to capture the win 36-34 and the tournament title. It was truly a team effort, and this type of match early in the season should help to build the teams confidence as a dual team.